You know a spot is good if you don’t know how many times you have visited it. This spot, for me, is Pai. This northern Thailand town is all about the chill vibes, natural grub and all around wholesomeness that is sometimes not felt in other towns. This spot has everything you need such as markets, western food options, stores, restaurants and bars. While having all of these things the town itself is still rather small. There are a decent number of tourists that come here, but somehow the place still doesn’t feel “touristy”.
The nature that surrounds this cute town is really quite spectacular. Mountains are sprinkled around, there are rivers flowing through some of them, wildlife roaming, canyons, waterfalls, and other wonderful scenes of mother nature at her very best.
Despite the stomach-turning 3 hour ride to get here from Chiang Mai, I really can’t think of anything bad to say about Pai. Let’s get to the details…
Pai has a river flowing through it’s town in which you can find some charming little bungalows strewn across and nearing close to the water. This is one of the nicest areas to stay in the town. Otherwise, outside of the town is my personal favorite. When I say “out of town” I mean only 1-3 km away from the main town, not bad at all. There are even better and sometimes cheaper places out this way. Many of them are set on a mountain with awesome views or in the valleys look up at a mountain range.
Rent a motorbike and just cruise around. It’s easy to get around just be careful riding up and down hillsides. Make a visit to the canyon for a thrilling experience. Like many things in Thailand, there isn’t much in terms of safety precautions so use your head when exploring the canyons. There are narrow paths that skim the tops of the canyon. One small slip and you might be at the bottom. It’s a gorgeous site, and staying back if you’re too clumsy will still provide you with some great views.
There are a few reputable elephant camps here. There is one near the hot springs that takes you to the river to play with the elephants and splash around. When I went, my mahout (elephant trainer) got my elephant to shake and throw me off a few times into the water. The elephant would then slouch down so I could climb back up him. Who gets to say they have played with an elephant in the river?
There is plenty more nature activities to occupy your time with here or just simply chill and do nothing. Try to catch a party while you’re here as well. There is often some music and entertainment provided at some of the local bars. Pai is an awesome place to mellow out, loose track of time, and get to know yourself a bit more while exploring the pure and beautiful nature that you are encompassed by during your stay here. It’s one of my most recommend spots in the country.
